Hegseth denies new claims detailed in affidavit turned over to Senate

pete Hegseth,the nominee‌ for Defence Secretary,has categorically denied new allegations of threatening behavior ⁢toward⁤ his second wife,Samantha⁤ Hegseth,as outlined in an affidavit from his former sister-in-law,Danielle Hegseth.The affidavit claims‍ that Samantha had to‌ prepare an escape plan due to fears ​for ​her safety during their marriage. It includes allegations ‌of erratic and aggressive​ behavior, with specific incidents mentioned, like Samantha​ texting a code word ‌to activate the escape plan, even though Danielle admits she personally‍ did ‌not witness any physical abuse.

Samantha Hegseth refutes‌ the claims made in the affidavit, asserting that there was no physical abuse in her marriage. Hegseth’s attorney has ⁢dismissed⁢ the allegations ‍as politically​ motivated and linked them to personal animosities within the family. The affidavit has raised concerns among some senators regarding Hegseth’s ⁤suitability for the position, with calls for a more thorough background examination into his conduct and ​past allegations of ‌misconduct.Senators, including jack Reed ‍and ‌Elizabeth Warren, expressed their discomfort with Hegseth’s‌ nomination following the revelations in the affidavit.


Hegseth denies new claims detailed in affidavit turned over to Senate ahead of key vote

A transition aide and an attorney for defense secretary nominee said Pete Hegseth “categorically denies” new allegations detailed in an affidavit provided by his former sister-in-law, claiming Hegseth’s behavior caused his second wife to fear for her safety.

“Mr. Hegseth categorically denies every word of every allegation,” a Hegseth aide said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner. 

In the affidavit provided to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Danielle Hegseth, who was previously married to Hegseth’s brother, outlines allegations that the defense secretary nominee engaged in threatening behavior that made his second wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. 

According to the affidavit obtained by the Washington Examiner, during the marriage, Samantha Hegseth developed plans with members of Hegseth’s family and mutual friends to help her escape “if she felt she needed to get away from Hegseth.”  

The plans included “a safe word/ code word” that Samantha Hegseth could text in an effort to let family and friends know that her husband was displaying “erratic and aggressive behavior” and to signal she needed help. In the affidavit, Danielle Hegseth also says that one time “sometime in 2015-2016,” Samantha Hegseth did text her one of these words and activated the escape plan.     

Danielle Hegseth also alleges in the affidavit that Samantha Hegseth told her that on one occasion she had “hid in her closet from Hegseth because she feared for her personal safety.” She also said she did “not personally witness physical or sexual abuse by Hegseth.”

Danielle Hegseth mentions in the affidavit that part of her reasoning for coming forward is “because I have been assured that making this public statement will ensure that certain Senators who are still on the fence will vote against Hegseth’s confirmation.” She never clarified who made those assurances.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense Secretary, poses for a photo with Cabinet picks, other nominees and appointments, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Samantha Hegseth is pushing back on allegations made in the affidavit, denying any physical abuse. “There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you, I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision,” she said in a statement provided to NBC News, who reported on the affidavit.

Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Pete Hegseth, dismissed the allegations, referencing a 2021 court document that said neither Pete Hegseth nor Samantha Hegseth claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.

“Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse, she signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview. Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump far left Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and never got along with the Hegseth family, do nothing to change that,” he said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner. 

“After an acrimonious divorce, Ms. Dietrich has had an axe to grind against the entire Hegseth family,” he said. “Ms. Dietrich admits that she saw nothing but is now falsely accusing Sam of lying to both the Court and to the FBI because of private, undocumented statements that she allegedly made 10 years ago.”

Danielle Hegseth’s affidavit comes in response to a Jan. 18 letter from Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services panel, seeking “a statement attesting to your personal knowledge about Mr. Hegseth’s fitness to occupy this important position.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Reed said, “As I have said for months, the reports of Mr. Hegseth’s history of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and public misconduct necessitate an exhaustive background investigation. I have been concerned that the background check process has been inadequate, and this sworn affidavit confirms that fact.”

Other Democrats on the committee indicated their unease with Pete Hegseth’s nomination moving forward as a result of this latest affidavit.

“I am telling you, there is a great deal in this affidavit, and, any part of which would disqualify a candidate to lead our military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a member of the committee, told reporters.

Vice President J.D. Vance weighed in on the allegations, placing the blame on journalists for circulating “a lie.”

“This is a story about Hegseth’s ex-wife, who herself said the story is a lie,” Vance wrote in a post on X. “‘Journalism’ like this is a disgrace and is why the corporate media has lost its relevance.”

Other Republicans on the Armed Services Committee who have seen the new allegations said they aren’t swayed.

“I’ve seen other documents too. I’m not going to fall for that,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday. 

Freshman Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT), a member of the panel, also called the allegations “a desperate, last-minute attempt by Dems and the media to smear Pete Hegseth.”

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted along party lines on Monday to move Pete Hegseth’s nomination to the full Senate. Democrats are already attempting to slow down Pete Hegseth’s nomination by forcing roll call votes to go from executive to legislative session once cloture is filed. A vote on his nomination could come as early as Thursday.

To be confirmed, Pete Hegseth needs a simple majority, which includes 51 of the Senate’s 53 Republicans. Republicans have a 53-47 advantage. Pete Hegseth can’t afford to lose more than three GOP votes if all Democrats vote against him.

During his confirmation hearing last week, Pete Hegseth was pressed on allegations of sexual assault stemming from a 2017 incident that he said was consensual, alcohol abuse, and infidelity during his marriages.

Pete Hegseth was asked directly by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) whether he’d release his ex-wives from any confidentiality agreements, President Donald Trump’s nominee said he was not aware of any kind of agreement and it was “not his responsibility.”

Kaine also asked him directly whether he engaged in any acts of physical violence against any of his wives, almost hinting at the allegations that came out on Tuesday.

“Senator, absolutely not,” Pete Hegseth said.



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